Deer hunting: A family tradition

Hunting in the Wilderness State Park is not convenient for the Winnell family, but for them deer hunting is not about convenience.

They are up early in the morning in order to march through the dense, swampy woods by the aid of flashlights. They set up in familiar spots along a ridge with few comforts other than the camaraderie of hunting together and the family nicknames for their favorite blinds, such as the Christmas Tree Blind or Grandpa's Stump, that have been passed on from one generation to the next.

"My grandpa taught me to hunt hard," said Todd Winnell, 38.

His grandfather, Hugh Winnell, 85, came to Petoskey as a child in 1935 and soon after began hunting with his grandfather and uncle in Emmet County's northwest corner. Hugh put in 66 seasons into that land and lost count of the bucks he has shot, yet he no longer trusts his legs to get him in and out of the woods without incident.

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"The spirit is willing, but the flesh is not able," he said.

Now, Hugh spends his time waiting for his grandson, Todd, and son, Mike Winnell, 61, to return with their own stories.

"As a kid, I remember watching out the window and waiting for them to come home," said Mike. "It was always exciting to see the deer and run out to the garage to hear them tell the story."

On his first hunting trip, it was the stories around the lunch time camp fire that intrigued Todd most of all.

"As a kid, five hours by yourself seems like an eternity," he said. "What was so thrilling to me was listening to the older guys talk. I let it all soak in."

Although the Winnells admit that shooting deer is not the most important part of hunting, they take their venison seriously. Besides hunting with few amenities in the woods, they also process their own meat.

"You can't really buy venison, but it's as good a meat you'll find," said Todd. "We cut it up the way we want it and we don't let any go to waste because we know how much work goes into it."

But all three agree there is a unique rush that comes in that moment when a buck walks into their line of sight.

"You're in a moment that doesn't come very often," said Todd. "It's worth every second."

Mike added that there is so much scouting preparation that goes into the hunt, and then following a successful shot there is also the task of dragging the deer back.

"It's our skill and intuition against the deer's instincts. You might only get one shot a year," said Mike. "It's a lot of waiting and you have to be willing to work."

Todd said his son, Isaac, 9, is still too young to take hunting, but he has already brought him out on a scouting trip to start to familiarize him with the land.

"It's pretty cool to watch him walk those same trails," said Todd. "He's the sixth generation of the family to be out there."

Hugh added that while not all of the family is as serious as they are about hunting, he is confident that his great grandson will carry on the tradition.